SCB

Doyle is exactly who Cook should be looking at. When you consider that 2 season before he moved up full time Doyle was "only" a 5 point rider while Cook was already a 7 then Cook is in theory moving up at a higher level already so he has no excuses!

And what were Hans Nielsen and Tony Rickardssons averages? A lot higher than both but I'd not be calling for them to ride in the GP series. There no doubting AJ has in the past been a genuine GP rider, a rider who has IMO at least deserves his place. but his record from 2000 to 2013 is pretty irrelevant. You can only look at someones most recent season and possibly the one before to see if this year was just a bad one for some reason. Harris has qualified, for that season he could be the worst rider in the World in all but 3(?) meetings in 2015 but he has done it. It can't be argued. Dawid Kujawa did the same in 2001 at U21 level. A nothing rider, nobody outside of Poland had heard of him, I think it was Crump who was commentating on Sky who was shocked to hear they both rode for the same club in Poland. But he won a World U21 title that season because on the day, he stepped up. It's not about comparing AJ with Harris. It's about comparing AJ with the 100s of rider who also failed to qualify for the GP series. You can exclude all but about 10 riders straight away anyway for all manner of reasons. Out of curiosity, had Emil decided last week he wanted to be GP rider, which of the 4 (Hampel, Kildemand, Lindback and AJ) would you have dropped for him?

He's qualified more than most riders (any rider who has qualified once gets to claim that) so yes, I think when he's old and retired and sat chatting to the great grand kids he'll be right to be proud of what he's achieved in the sport.

I'd be happy if either of them signed for Coventry, in fact if both signed I'd not be upset.

Well yeah, until he walked out at the end of the year. So that commitment was a bit half hearted and crap. And suggests he regretted it and would not chose to commit to a Monday again in the future.

Hampel, Emil, Vaculik and Greg Laguta are all better riders. As is Pepe Protasawicz, Zmarzlik, Lindback and both Pawlickis. That's got him down to 20th before you start including the likes of Larsen, Madsen, Artem Laguta and Dudek. All IMO better riders.

On his average, assuming he can finish top 4 of a state final is imagine he'll get a few offers.

Odd guy Neil. Clearly a well liked individual but does seem a bit, "wet". Almost a bit naive and as if he'd struggle to motivate. Maybe his level is U21 level where he needs to be a nice guy and put his arm around the lads rather than at EL level where you sometimes need to be a little more assertive and even nasty. Strikes me as a really nice guy but is that what you want in a manager?

Thats odd, Vatcher claimed on Sky last season you signed Kennett for his away form. Mind you I did laugh and question if he really did want to lose every away meeting!

Magic and Matej is 2. Only Niels, Harris, Holder and Doyle. As Holder and Doyle live here I don't think they have any choice. So that leaves Harris and Puk, I can't see Harris quoting the EL. So Puk is a doubt then?

In the past I've not really had any issues with his inclusion. I don't care if someone has 200 wildcards, if you a top 15 rider in the World you should get a wildcard every year if you need it. My issue is he's not longer top 15 in the World. I'd have not had him anywhere near the GPs personally.

The whole point of the top 4 of a state final thing is to prove they're good enough and not the dregs. If you let him in on a 4.5 average you're basically saying he's on a bargain average as he's meant to be a top class performer. It how it work until about 7 or 8 years ago.

I honestly doubt it. Advertising on national tele for local speedway is a waste of time as 95% of people who see it are not your target audience. Even a BSPA "all clubs" advert wouldn't work as you wouldn't be able to sell each club.

If I had £1 for every person I've spoken to in Newport the last 15-20 years who I've mentioned speedway to and they have said, "Newport had a track in the 70s" I'd be a rich man. We had a track for 15 years recently but part of the reason we don't any more is people like that were not aware of it! I'm not sure what the answer is really but a targeting number of people just don't seem to know about the sport. And in Newport it was all the more perplexing as almost every Monday the local paper would fill the back page of the sports supplement with speedway, often the front page of the supplement would have a full size action picture too.

The winner of a GP wins about £8000. That has to pay for atleast a mechanic, travel for two to the meeting, accommodation for at least 1nights accommodation. Even if you win every GP that's about £80,000. Throw in cheap hotels and cheap flights and you've spent about £1200 so pretty negligible. So £80,000 for you and your mechanic. Oh and your engine tuner! To win a GP it takes more than 1 mechanic too. So suddenly split 4 ways you're all earning 20k at best. The engine tuner is laughing as he could have 3 or 4 riders in the GP though. Now try finding middle of the pack. And you're not making much money at all!

so would Nicki Pedersen. By as neither can ride PL it's irrelevant!

Woffy IS British. Masters WAS fined. Just seen Lindgren is first reserve. Eugh. Great!

Ward turned it down one year but got one the year after. Vaculik took a sensible approach IMO. Sod the politics, it should be the best 4 non-GP riders get try wild cards. That is Hampel and Kildemand. It's probably Lindback and in the absense of Emil it's probably then Vaculik.

Ive crashed a speedway bike And was nearly taken out by Lucifer Sam - TBF it's because he crashed into the fence at walking speed and I nearly fell off laughing

He should have to come back on a 7 point average. Let's see how commited they are then!

If the people on the BSF run businesses they'd never make any money. Hotels work on a supply and demand basis (as to planes and train) in that the less beds (or seats) they have the more they charge. You try getting a hotel bed on Cardiff GP night the week before and you won't, suggesting their pricing is spot on.

As I see it, he should have the place AJ has been given, again. In the past AJ has fair claim as one of the top 15 in the World but he's not that any more.

Agreed. If we got £1 every time the rides told us we'd get good racing later or in a few heats on Sky we'd be well off by now!

I think you're being very kind there. Vaculik is ahead of him anyway and should be in. AJ aside I'm happy with that.

I meant 36. Fat fingers and phones don't work too well! It was heavily biased towards the EL. Oxford got screwed over too as Craig Boyce (think it was him) signed for Poole in the BLC despite being in their (Oxfords) EL team.